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Minimising risks

Playing football is fun and healthy. These benefits by far outweigh the risk involved in playing. The important thing is to know your risk and how to minimise it.

The health benefits of playing football are numerous: you get physically fit and protect yourself from the many diseases caused by inactivity – the number one health threat of today.

What you must know is when you are at risk, and what you can do against it. Sometimes danger is obvious, sometimes you need to be aware and know some facts in order to realise it.

Surely, you should only play when you feel fit and healthy. So learn what, when and how to eat and drink to be best prepared. Do not play when you have fever or a painful injury. The greatest risk in football is injury, but you can protect yourself from injury by following some key rules.

Here, we want to alert you to a few more important issues:

1. How to prevent sudden cardiac deathTime and time again, a young, seemingly healthy player suddenly dies on the pitch. Being alert to your body’s signals and regular medical checks allow you to react in time and avoid risks.

2. Playing in the heatUnusual hot summers or travelling to compete in hot climates might expose you to an environment you are not used to. Some basic precautions help your body to adopt.

Ronaldo once said “We lost because we didn’t win.” Make sure you win because you don’t lose by taking unjustified risks.

Minimising Risks

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Important Note: All the Information on this website is based on scientific evidence produced by the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre F-MARC during 15 years of research into football medicine.